Letter to the Editor: Name it with the subdivisions included

By Douglas K. Hintze East Carbon

Editor:

To The East Carbon/Sunnyside Council.

I am writing this letter as a citizen of this community who has lived here for 65 years. I have other obligations on Tuesday and cannot attend the city meetings. I feel the name of this area will have an affect on all of the citizens of the combined cities.

I believe you have a huge responsibility in deciding the name of our city. You've already voted once and have already decided to change the name again because some feel it is too long. Somewhere down the line, are you going to change it again because someone doesn't like it? You'll never have 100 percent approval on the name upon which you decide.

As a result of the above, you have now decided to let the citizens give suggestions to you but will not allow any that mention the names of our three communities. Now, no one wins. Why not come up with a name where everyone wins.

Our area has always been known as East Carbon. Long before East Carbon City came to be in 1973, the area was called East Carbon. We had the East Carbon Junior High School and the East Carbon High School. Some of us attended the junior high, and a large majority of our citizens attended East Carbon High. If the new name is East Carbon with the Sunnyside, Columbia, and Dragerton subdivisions, it's a win-win situation and no one loses their identity.

Every resident claims an area in our town -- Sunnyside, Columbia, or East Carbon. Each area has it own rich heritage and history; but, for the most part, we've always been one. All citizens can tell their friends and relatives that they're from East Carbon but live in one of the above areas of town. Columbia is East Carbon now; but everyone still refers to it as Columbia, which will probably be the case 'for Sunnyside as well.

If you would truly consider this proposal, every citizen is represented and no one is left out. Also, it's the financially responsible thing to do. It makes no sense to change everything and lose our identity to satisfy the desires of those only on the council. Your job, which I don't envy, is to represent the citizens of our community and not to be an entity unto yourselves.

I have talked to many citizens from all three areas of our community, and they like the above idea. The letterhead and the sign on City Hall could be East Carbon City and below that Sunnyside, Columbia, and Dragerton.